Jorish held his spear tightly as he faced Dyce. He couldn’t understand how, why or what was going on, but he knew that Dyce wanted a fight, and he didn’t seem very excited to talk things out.

“Here I come!” Shouted Dyce as he jumped forward towards Jorish, starting with a simple spear thrust.

Jorish immediately reacted as he jumped to the side, evading Dyce’s thrust with ease. Yet, as he jumped, the spear shifted into a slash that went for his arm. Jorish, still in mid air, lifted his spear to block. Jorish flew backwards as the spears clashed. He recovered his balance as he looked at the groove in the spear from that clash. Damn. Lamented Jorish. My pointy stick can’t stand much against his spear!

Interrupted his thoughts, Dyce shouted. “Don’t blank out while facing me, fool!”

He pressed the assault, as he followed through towards Jorish. Thrust upon thrust headed towards Jorish as he kept dodging and blocking, his spear getting more and more damaged. He looked to the side as he saw Anise standing cross-armed, looking at him. I mean, he is probably not trying to kill me… probably?

Jorish shook his thoughts out, as he felt himself getting pushed back further and further. Dyce snarled as he fought. “Where is your determination?”

Jorish’s experience kept him from getting skewered more than once, as he adjusted his defenses against the hail of thrusts and swipes coming towards him, yet he wondered.

Where was my determination?

I came all the way here, I had been unshackled from my shackles at the cities. Yet, where was my determination?

Dyce’s spear rotated in the middle of another strike, hitting his chest as it drew a line of blood as it cut through Jorish’s cloak.

“Where is your resolve!”

Where was my resolve?

I let go of everything I had and could’ve had. Yet here I stand, where was my resolve?

“Where is your justice!?”

My… justice?

Jorish’s eyes froze for a moment, as Dyce stopped attacking for a moment. He knew he shouldn’t let his mind wander in the middle of the fight, yet something inside him alerted him, told him.

Jorish stood still, he had given up everything. He had came here with the resolve to become strong. Yet, he couldn’t get rid of his old mindset. It was the biggest shackle he held, the shackle that tied him all his life.

In there, I learned how to be weak. I learned how to survive.

But I am not longer weak.

Jorish lifted his head, as locked eyes with Dyce, who had a smile on his face. Jorish closed his eyes as he sighed, before opening them again with renewed determination. He threw back his cloak, now riddled with cuts and holes from his opponents, revealing his sun-forged body. He felt his wounds ease up as sunlight penetrated into every fiber of his being.

Jorish bowed slightly towards Dyce. “I have shown you an embarrassing view of myself, thank you.”

Dyce laughed as he said. “Indeed! I was fighting a coward, a weakling. That is not who I want to fight, show me what that spear of yours can do!”

Dyce jumped again, rushing towards Jorish. Now focused, Jorish thought. He is more skilled than me with the spear, and his weapon is better. I can’t dodge his strikes well enough. What do I do?

A smile involuntarily appeared on Jorish’s face as a thought forced itself. Well, that’s obvious isn’t it?

Gathering all his determination, his resolve, and his will. Taking all the power in his body, the endless sunlight that flowed in his body.

Jorish stepped forward.

It was a single step, yet almost as if his body truly understood him, he felt his body absorb more and more power as he stepped. Using the full power, his foot slammed into the floor. Instantly, a wave forced as the floor cracked, sending a shock-wave towards the approaching Dyce.

Seeing the approaching wave, Dyce smiled wider as he slammed the back of his spear into the floor. Using it to launch himself in the air.

“Magnificent! Show it to me, show me everything! In return, I too shall show you… everything.” He howled as he dropped from the sky, spear posed to strike.

Using his momentum and strength, Jorish swung his staff in a wide arc toward Dyce. Dyce swung his spear in an angle, as he rotated his body in mid air.

The spears collided. Jorish’s eyes went wide as Dyce wasn’t sent back, instead, Jorish felt as if he had hit an immovable target. He felt his spear chip every more. He had no time to think about it as Dyce landed on the ground, resuming his assault. Unlike before, he felt that Dyce was fighting seriously now.

How does he do it? Jorish thoughts as the clashes continued. He is weaker than me, much so in pure physical strength. Yet, every strike of his… is strong!

Jorish could see nothing he could understand with his eyes, and so he understood he was thinking incorrectly. He focused more on the energy as spears clashed again, every clash wearing his spear down. Then, he saw it.

He had fought Traves before, he saw him use energy to make his stick as hard as steel. Yet this was different, doing what Traves did would not only need an extreme amount of energy, but talent to control it. Instead he felt energy pulsing at every strike. He repeated Traves’ words as they rang in his mind. You improvise.

Jorish was still in the first stage for energy sensing, he could tell for sure that Dyce was most likely a practitioner in energy cultivation. He was still superior to him in those physical clashes. Seeing Dyce’s spear approach him again, Jorish sent his spear in an arc, sending some energy through it in a rough pulse.

The spears clashed as Jorish felt himself get pushed back all the same, yet a smile planted itself on his face. Another strike came in as everything repeated, Jorish started getting pushed back further. Even then, his smile only grew wider.

I don’t have the energy to coat my spear, then I will only do the part that gets hit!

Spears clashed again, yet they stood at a standstill. Jorish felt his energy run lower at every clash.

I don’t even have energy for that, then only the outside part will do!

Cuts appeared all over his body, yet Jorish could feel nothing but joy. His only regret is his dwindling energy. As Dyce’s spear approached him again, he sidestepped it as he punched towards Dyce. Unexpecting Jorish’s actions, Dyce jumped back momentarily before preparing to go back in.

No longer concerned with why they were fighting, or of any consequences, Jorish moved forward at the same instant. If that is not enough… then one point! I just need one point to break through!

He saw Dyce’s spear stab towards him at his left-side, his smile widened as he stabbed from the right. They both pushed forward, neither wiling to concede as their spears went in for the kill.

Just before flesh, wood, and steel made contact, Jorish felt something push him back. Less than a moment later he flew back as he hit the floor. Raising his body, he looked at Dyce who had faced the same fate. He stood up confused as he looked at Anise’s worried face as her body was starting to transform. We might’ve overdone it there didn’t we… Yet, he saw confusion in her eyes at that moment.

Clarifying his doubts, he heard some clapping.

“Well, kids! That was great, but don’t go playing too rough now!” Traves walked in with his iconic smile on his face.

Seeing it was Traves, Jorish sighed in relief. Yet he felt a bit of disappointment in his sigh. He wanted to know, even if it had killed him, whose spear was faster in the end. Whose strike was better.

A moment later, Fredek walked out from behind Traves, waving his hand. He looked at Traves, who nodded before speaking. “Well, kids, mind giving friend Fredek some company for a while? I will clean up things here, then meet up with Cail and then I will catch you!” Traves smiled before preparing to leave, stopping as he looked towards Dyce. “Oh, and you kid, you are interesting. Tag along if you don’t mind!”

Dyce, wordless, nodded as he stared towards Traves. That wind push must’ve really scared him a bit huh. Jorish thought, shaking his head.

Fredek took a quick look around as he spoke. “Well, friends. Mind giving me some company as I go to the city center?”

Everyone nodded as they started following Fredek, as Jorish took a quick glance backwards, catching as Traves’ eyes sparked crimson for a moment, as a smile showed on his face.